The Power of Perspectives

Omar Ha-Redeye

Closing argument

Your morning coffee might be a bit more expensive in 2018, partly due to increased labour costs. But it will be worth it in the long run.

Across Canada, provinces are raising their minimum wages. Alberta has the most ambitious plan, with an increase to $13.60 on Oct. 1, 2017, and plans to raise it to $15 by Oct. 1, 2018. Ontario is close behind, raising the minimum wage to $14 on Jan. 1, 2017, with plans to go to $15 on Jan. 1, 2019.

The Bank of Canada responded with a study estimating that Ontario’s move could cost up to 60,000 jobs. The traditional arguments underpinning these conclusions are that higher wages mean a more expensive payroll, reducing the ability of employers to hire people.

Closing argument

Selling more taxes is rarely a popular political move, especially in difficult financial times. But even if we don’t like them, taxes remain necessary.

An effective justice system could be described as a hallmark of a civilized society. Without legal institutions, individuals and businesses lack effective conflict resolution systems. Not only does this create uncertainty for capital investment and commercial activities, but, at worst, these disputes can devolve into violence.

Maintaining a legal system that works effectively, however, does not happen without significant support from government in the form of administrative services and other funding. For this reason, there is a deep and necessary relationship between the legal profession and the payment of taxes.

Closing argument

The federal government is finally doing some housekeeping of the Criminal Code with Bill C-51. It may find some hidden cobwebs – and according to some, there may even be monsters under the bed.

The Criminal Code is a place where old, obsolete, or even unconstitutional laws languish in purgatory. Most governments have been content to simply ignore these outdated provisions, knowing that most would never actually be used. The result is a long, rambling and sometimes unnecessarily confusing statute.

Sometimes, the Code is sufficiently complicated to confuse even the judges.

Closing argument

It is very easy to turn a blind eye to areas of law that fall outside of our professional expertise. This is especially true of family law – but it would be a mistake to do so because we have a shared interest in ensuring the system functions properly.

By all accounts, family law is in crisis right across Canada; some courts report that between 60 and 70 per cent of litigants represent themselves. As the CBA’s Equal Justice Report notes, self-represented parties typically experience poorer outcomes. The cost of family law trials, however, means litigation is inaccessible for everyone except the very rich or the very poor.

That’s not to say family law hasn’t changed for the better in some ways. It has adapted to reflect changing social norms, including reforms geared to the realities of same-sex couples, surrogacy laws and changing family dynamics.

Closing argument

Imagine a dystopian future where genetically engineered babies give rise to a superior strain of humans who eventually dominate the world. Naturally conceived children are perceived as substandard and pushed to the fringes of civilized society.

It’s what we imagine when we watch science fiction films. But with the mapping of the human genome, and greater identification of specific genes that give rise to a medical predisposition, it’s a reality that some are taking very seriously.

In 2008, the U.S. introduced the Genetic Information Non-discrimination Act (GINA), legislation intended to prevent insurance companies from denying coverage based on a genetic profile and prohibit the use of such information in making hiring, promotion or firing decisions.

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Omar Ha-Redeye practices out of Fleet Street Law in Toronto. He is a Professor at Ryerson University and Centennial College. He sits on the board of directors of the OBA and co-chairs its Young Lawyers Division.

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